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An autism-linked protein called CASPR2 promotes the development of dendrites, the bushy structures atop neurons that receive signals from other neurons. The study, published 30 October in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that the molecule helps set up the lines of communication in the brain early in development.

An autism-linked protein called IL1RAPL1 helps neurons wire together, according to two studies published in September. These add to the catalog of molecular pairings involved in neural connections that are also implicated in autism.

Neurons lacking MeCP2, the protein deficient in Rett syndrome, have stronger signals than controls do when measured amid the electrical activity used by neurons to communicate. The findings suggest that how signals are measured can affect studies of other autism-related mutations.